Fourths to the w



(No Model.)

0. B. EMERY.

STALL FLOOR. 'No. 542,632. Patented July 16, 1895,

PCT TYj CHARLES B. EMERY, OF BOSTON, MASSAoHUsErTS, ASSIGNOR OF THREE- FOURTHS TO THEw; A. SNOW & COMPANY, or SAME PLACE.

A STALL-FLOOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 542,632, dated July 16, 1895.

Application filed November 1'7 1894.. Serial'No. 529,118. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, CHARLES B. EMERY, of Boston, county of Suffolk, and State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Stall-Floors, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like letters and numerals on the drawings representing like parts.

This invention relates to stall-floors of that class having a'basin beneath them, and it has for its objectto improve, simplify, and cheapen the construction of the same.

Stall-floors of the class referred to are commonly made of independent wooden planks suitably tied or secured, so as to leave spaces or slots between adjacent planks for the insertion of a cleaning tool or book, by which manure'and other matter may be removed from between the said planksand from the basin beneath the same. Practice has dem: onstrated that these wooden planks, after little use, become warped to such extent as to practically close the slots or spaces normally separating them, and thereby prevent the cleaning of the basin by means of the hook or tool.

This invention has for one of its objects to correct this defect and prevent or largely avoid the warping of the wooden planks, whereby thespaces between adjacent planks are maintained open at substantially their normal width. This result is accomplished by means of a bridge comprising one or more parts and secured to the under side of the floor-planks substantially near the longitudinal center of the same, the said bridge extending substantially at right angles to the planks and the slots between them. I-prefer to make the stall-floor in two parts or halves capable of being raised to gain access to the basin beneath the said floor, and when thus made the reinforcing-bridge is also made in two parts, one part being secured to each half.

of the stall-floor. The basin referred to is preferably made in one piece with an inclined bottom composed of two connected parts located in different planes, the rear portion of the basin-bottom being lower than the front portion at its point of juncture with the said front portion a distance substantially equal the bridge, so that the upper surface of the lower-portion of the bridge may be substantially flush with the upper surface of the front portion of the basin to afford an unobstructed passage for the cleaning hook or tool the entire length of the basin, as will be de scribed. A

These and other features of this invention will be pointed out in the claimsat the end of this specification.

Figure 1 is a top or plan view of a stallfloor embodying this invention; Fig. 2, a longitudinal section on the line 2 2, Fig. 1; Fig. 3, a transverse section on the line 3 3, Fig. 1, looking toward the right; Fig. 4, a transverse section on the irregular line 4 4, Fig. 1, looking toward the left; and Fig. 5 a detail to be referred to.

In the present instance the stall-floor forming the subject of the invention is shown as composed of six floor-planks A, secured together, as will be described, to form two parts or halves A A The planks A comprising the stall-floor are supported above a basin B, as will be described, so that their upper surfaces are substantially flush with the stationary or main flooring A In the present instance the planks A, constituting the stallfloor over the basin B, are separated from one another by spaces or slots at, extending the length of the said planks, and the said planks are secured at their ends to hinges, each preferably comprising a long arm a and a. short arm 0?, suitably pivoted together at one end, as at a (See Fig. 5). It will be understood that each part or section A A of the stallfioor is secured at its opposite ends to the long arm a of a hinge, as by screws a, the short arm a of which is fastened, as by screws of, to the stationary flooring A The short arm a of each hinge constitutes the fixed member and the long arm a the movable member.

The main floor A'is notched or cut away, as at a, to form pockets for the reception of the pivoted end of the hinge, the long arm being provided with an upwardly-curved end a (see Fig. 5,) which projects upward into said pocket and to which the short arm a is pivoted, so that the short arm for the greater to the thickness of the material comprising part of its width lies above the long arm a, as shown in. Fig. 5.

The floor-planks A are cut away at their end on their under side, as at 3, Fig. 2, a distance substantially equal to the thickness of the long arm a, so that the end face of the planks are substantially flush with the outside of the said long arm.

The planks A are separated from one another by the spaces or slots a, which communicate with the basin B, and in orderthat the planks A may be prevented from warping and thereby coming in contact with each other, so as to close the said spaces or slots, a trans Verse bridge or reinforce is secured to the under side of the said planks. The bridge referred to I prefer to divide according to the number of parts comprising the stall-floor that is, in the present instance the stall-floor is composed of two parts A A and therefore the bridge is herein shown as composed of two parts 6 b (see'Fig. 3,) each part being preferably composed of metal and in the form of substantially rightangled corrugations or bends, the upper horizontal part 4 of one bend being secured, as by a screw 1), to a floorplank, (see Fig. 3,) and the lower horizontal part 5 of an adjacent bend being in line with a slot or space between the planks A, and preferably resting on the basin B, to form a center support for the said planks.

It will thus be seen that the planks A, comprising each part or half of the stall-floor, are tied together at their opposite ends by the long arm a, of the hinges and at their center by the parts b b of the bridge. The bridge thus constitutes a tie-bar for the center of the planks and prevents distortion of the same by warping, thereby keeping the spaces or slots at between adjacent planks open and of substantially their normal width, so that a cleaning hook or tool may be inserted into and through the slots when it is desired to remove manure and other solid substance from the slots and basin.

In order that the cleaning-hook may have an unobstructed passage from one end of the stall to the other, and in order that no obstruction may be offered to the passage of the manure over the basin by the lower horizontal part 5 of the bridge, I prefer to provide the bottom of the basin B with a downward offset, as atc, of sufficient depth to bring the upper surface of the lower horizontal part 5 of the bridge flush, or substantially flush, with the upper surface of the raised part or half 7 of the said bottom, as clearly shown in Fig. 2.

The bottom of the'basin b is preferably made downwardly inclined from the front or head of the stall toward the rear, substantially one half 7 of the said bottom being in a higher plane than the half or part 8. The lower half or part 8 of the basin-bottom is provided with a transverse gutter 0, provided with an outlet-pipe 0 forming a chamber 0 into which projects a nipple or pipe section 0 with which co-operates a hell or cap 0 (see Fig. 4,) projecting below the top edge of the nipple or pipe section 0 sufficient to form a bell-trap. The hell or cap 0 is preferably secured to a strainer or perforated cover 0 fitted over the pipe 0 The nipple or pipe section 0 maybe connected with. the sewer or other receptacle by a pipe 0 The basin B is provided with an upturned edge, flange, or rim (Z, extended completely around the same, and the main projecting over the rim d, the latter preventing leakage of water underthe main floor. v

By hinging the parts of the stall-floor at theirends, as described, spaces or slots 14 15 are provided between the outside floor-planks A and the floor-timbers, which prevent the accumulation of manure at the side, as would be the case if the parts of the stallfloor were hinged at their sides rather than at their ends, as herein shown.

In practice the basin B is preferably cast in one piece, the walls, of the transverse gutter, the outlet-pipe, and the pipe-section being in one piece with the bottom and rim of the said basin.

The stall-floor may be raised to permit of access to the basin-as, for instance, when it is desired to flush out the same.

I claim 1. The combination with a stall floor composed of independent planks separated from one another to leave slots or spaces between them, and a basin or bed therefor, of a reinforcing bridge secured to the under side of the said spaced planks between their ends, to tie the same, preserve the spacing thereof, and to form a support therefor, the said bridge having depressions therein below and in line with the spaces between the planks and eX- tending nearly to the basin floor, to thereby permit the passage without obstruction of a cleaning hook through and below said slots from end to end thereof, and the passage of said cleaning hook along the surface of the basin or bed without substantial obstruction, substantially as described.

2. A stall floor composed of independent planks arranged longitudinally of the stall separated from one another to leave slots or spaces between them and secured together at their ends; a basin arranged below said spaced planks with its rearwardly inclined bottom divided transversely into upper and lower inclined portions, and a reinforcing bridge secured to the under side of the said spaced planks between their ends and having depressions therein below and in line with the spaces between the planks, the said bridge being secured to'the under side of the spaced planks at a point to enable it to bear upon and be supported by the lower inclined portion adjoining the lower end of the upperinclined portion, whereby the bottom of the depressions in said bridge will be substantially flush with the upper inclined portion of said basin, in combination, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

floor is made in two layers 10 12, the layer 12 3. The combination with a stall floor .composed of independent planks separated from one another to leave slots or spaces between them, and a basin or bed therefor, of a reinforcing bridge secured to the under side of the said spaced planks between their ends, to tie the same, preserve the spacing thereof, and to form a support therefor, the said bridge having depressions therein below and in line with the spaces between the planks and extending nearly to the basin floor, to thereby permit the passage without obstruction of a cleaning hook through and below said slots from end to end thereof, and the passage of 

